


Observation of Growth

by Witchtomez



Series: Yoosung Week 2018 (SFW) [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Humor, Implied Stalking, Prompt Challenge, Rika is briefly mentioned, T rating for minor violent descriptions and language, Yoosung/MC is actually more mentioned rather than present, prompt - through other's eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 06:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16528883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchtomez/pseuds/Witchtomez





	Observation of Growth

These days, when Jumin Han looks at his youngest RFA colleague, he feels a strange curiosity.

He’d always trusted his best friends’ judgment about Yoosung’s intelligence and ambition; then soon saw it for himself, filing a note away for when the boy was old enough to consider an internship at C&R.

Then came the upheaval of Rika’s abrupt departure, leaving a gaping hole in their lives, but none so large as the void deeply embedded in her young cousin. At the time, Jumin was unsure of how someone, especially as emotional as Yoosung, would be able to recover when Rika’s presence in his life was a vast part of the boy’s moral foundation. It was akin to razing a young plant back down to the ground before it could even produce the first bloom.

Jumin could sympathize somewhat; not only had he lost a good friend, but the CEO also had been understandably frustrated with V’s penchant for secrecy–-particularly when such secrets resulted in needless harm. Being stuck between wanting to help his oldest friend and the wounded young man left behind often left Jumin feeling helpless; a feeling he was wholly uncomfortable to endure.

And yet, after a mere 11 days of utterly bizarre circumstances, Jumin looks at Yoosung who beams while his bandages are changed out by a woman who was a complete stranger to all of them only weeks ago.

At 27 years old, Jumin Han does not know if he buys into the idea of love or its potential healing properties, or if it even possesses such universal qualities-–nor does he question it; he is merely grateful to see his young friend starting to bloom once more.

***

On one of her rare days off, Jaehee is practically glowing as she enters the coffee shop Zen invited to meet her in. She’s only slightly disappointed that they are not joined by the friend who helped lower the walls between the theater star and herself, but she’s content knowing that Yoosung is likely lavishing her with affection at the moment.

“Something good happen, Jaehee?” Zen smiles earnestly, raising a pale eyebrow. She shakes her head with a small laugh.

“Just thinking about Yoosung and our new friend…he’s made an amazing improvement in such a short time, I’m really impressed,” she replies, smiling warmly at the thought; Zen chuckles and nods, setting his cup down.

“No kidding, he was such a lost little boy ever since…well, not that I can blame him, but it makes me feel a little guilty,” he confesses, lips thinning. Jaehee tilts her head curiously, waiting for him to answer. Red irises flicker in response to her bright brown eyes and he clears his throat.

“I just mean that I’ve been-–well, we all have been trying to comfort him for almost two years but I feel bad that it’s like we just didn’t know how to help…” Zen trails off and Jaehee offers a sympathetic smile.

“I understand completely,’ she proffers, letting her mug join his at the table.’…I often feel bad because out of all of us, I believed I would have been best equipped to help Yoosung through his grief…but the more I thought about what to say, the more I realized…”

Jaehee hesitates and her eyes fall with a small sigh. Long fingers reach across the table to gently squeeze her hand in a comforting manner.

“…Jaehee…?” Zen’s voice is so uncharacteristically small and meek, Jaehee finds herself smiling apologetically.

“I’m fine, really. I just realized that the more I thought about what to say to Yoosung, the more I realized that the only reason I wasn’t in his position was because there was no questions surrounding my mother’s passing; I was present, so I…I was able to have that closure. I may not have been allowed to grieve as I needed, but the closure was _essential_ to being able to step forward.”

Jaehee looks up to find her table-mate staring at her, heartbroken.

“Ah…forgive me, I didn’t mean to ruin the atmosphere…” Zen blinks and shakes his head emphatically, refusing her apology.

“No–-God! No need for forgiveness, you’re absolutely right; it’s just that I’m upset you went through that on your own when your family should have been there for you–-ahh, but you’re right, this is a good day so we should talk about things that make us smile!”

Jaehee hides her giggles behind her mug as Zen flaps his hands to clear the air before summoning his usual charming smile. Placing his hands back on the table, he fixes Jaehee with a grin.

“Let’s order some pastries, hm?” Zen slides a menu over and Jaehee accepts with a small nod. They wave the attendant over and place their orders before resuming conversation.

“Hm, I will say I think I may have been too critical of Yoosung before because of his poor self-maintenance…and I regrettably may have said too much while sampling that wine-–,’ Zen covers his laugh with a lazy hand.

"I think we all were, but I think he understood we were worried about him. He can be surprisingly stubborn!”

Their orders arrive and Jaehee takes a moment to enjoy the fragrance while Zen takes pictures of his savory pastry set for his social media accounts before stepping over to take a selfie with her. Once re-seated, the conversation resumes.

“It seems that way, but he has definitely been more open to advice since he began seriously considering a relationship.” Zen swallows his bite and taps the table before pointing at her.

“Mm! He has, hasn’t he! Honestly, I was a little scared that since this is his first time being in love, he won’t know how to take it seriously, but he’s been so good! A little clumsy, but he has his own charms to make up for it.”

There’s a moment of hesitation as Jaehee considers his statement, but Zen is resolute.

“…I suppose he does. He is quite earnest and hardworking when properly motivated, though it is very lucky that she is so understanding and unfailingly kind.”

Zen nods again emphatically, intuitively knowing whom Jaehee was referring.

“You’re not wrong-–having a new member really shook up the group for a while but it seems like despite everything, we’re all coming out ahead for the most part. It’s doubly lucky for Yoosung that his first girlfriend is pretty forward-–” Jaehee began to cough, hastily grabbing her drink to dislodge the pastry. Zen offered a napkin, apologizing before Jaehee shook him off with a smile.

“ _*Ahem*_ …,’ she paused mindfully, ‘well, now _you’re_ not wrong; before Seven and Yoosung went off on their little adventure, there may have been a few texts where I can definitely tell someone was testing the waters…”

“Ohh!’ Zen lets out an excited snigger, rapping his fingertips across the surface of the table, 'Jaehee, share! Share!”

Leaning back with her phone, she refuses through her bright laughter.

“Zen, as a woman, I cannot betray her so easily; you must know this!”

Before they can draw too much attention to their table, they quiet their merry giggles and reduce their voices to hushed whispers.

“Ahh…I will respect female solidarity then,’ he smiles with a salute,’…but it really does make me feel better. That time where he kept overlapping her with Rika, I was afraid she would get upset and give up-–oof, I don’t want to think of it! I still feel bad when I think of how mad he was at me for pointing it out.”

Across the table, Jaehee sips her coffee thoughtfully before carefully setting it down.

“Mm, I agree with you, though your approach was a bit too much. Despite how much we worry over him, Yoosung is an adult who will feel insulted when his inexperience is used against him.” Zen lets out a sigh, agreeing.

“Yea, I really should have thought about it more. I know how much I hated it back then, it’s only natural he didn’t want to hear it from me like that.”

“It’s fine now; he finally understood that no matter how good your feelings are for someone no longer with you, no one wishes to become a backup copy for that person’s memory…now Yoosung is properly focused on becoming the person he wants to be so that he is able to love his special person the way they deserve. I can’t help but admire him now–-both of them, really,” Jaehee confesses, her quiet smile reaching her eyes. Zen feels his enthusiastic grin return.

“I feel the same way…it’s funny to say it, but I am actually really excited to see Yoosung as a husband-–!” 

A fork clatters noisily.

“Excuse me?? Surely he hasn't…not now–-?” Zen puts his hands in front of him in a placating manner.

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean right away! I mean,’ he pauses with a light blush and a chuckle, 'sure, he moved… a LOT quicker than we expected at the party–-’ Jaehee tilts her head and nods, unable to disagree with this; her own cheeks color a little at the recollection.

’–-but in any case, I’m pretty sure he knows marriage isn’t something he can do right away since he’s still studying and probably wants to introduce his girlfriend to his family first…”

Jaehee narrows one brown eye; she can feel the question hanging in the air.

“… _'But’_ …” she urges, catching Zen’s furtive smirk before he relents.

“…but…that doesn’t mean he isn’t thinking about it–-do you know he came to me last week and asked how to do barbell curls? I asked him why and he tried to say it was something about wanting to make sure he can lift things carefully. God! I didn’t think he even knew what the exercise was called!” Looking over, Zen spots Jaehee failing to conceal her mirth as she laughs behind a napkin, wiping at her eyes.

“I can’t believe it; it has only been a little while and he’s researching on his own…”

“I can’t believe how much cuter he’s becoming as a man-–I almost can’t look at him directly, he’s so bright, ugh…,’ Zen smiles, pinching the bridge of his nose, ’…still, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Cheers to that.”

\--a clink of ceramic, then--

“Cheers.”

***

Tapping away furiously at a keyboard as light from several monitors glare off his lenses, Seven doesn’t give himself much time to stop and think about his youngest friend anymore–-not because he dislikes him; quite the contrary.

Because when Luciel takes moment to breathe, all he can see when he thinks of Yoosung is his wan smile, framed by a trickle of blood and paths of tears and then the redhead feels his breath stolen from him as his throat locks up.

He stops. This isn’t doing any good.

Neither are the nightmares, where he is the one with blood under his nails as Yoosung crawls nowhere for help. The worst nightmares have him advancing towards his fallen friend, reflections on shattered glass catching not only the deranged smile on his face, but his irises which are a mismatched gold…and mint.

Seven feels a tremor under his skin so unpleasant; it takes him a full ten minutes to stop hyperventilating.

He sits up, resumes his position at the keyboard and starts poring through more of the files they stole from that absurd fortress in the mountains.

Seven can’t face Yoosung Kim yet; he can only entrust him to the woman who built his spirit back up from the very bottom, returning the young prodigy not only to his previous strength–but inspiring him to push past his limits.

Briefly, Seven wonders if this relationship truly saved or cursed Yoosung Kim: was it a blessing that Yoosung chose to sacrifice his safety and well-being for budding love? Would it have been better for him to remain safe, yet miserable for however many more years?

_'Or am I just blaming something else because I know I’m responsible for this?'_

Red hair, dulled with days of non-stop work and no maintenance, shook and fell limply in front of his face. Tears threaten to well up and spill over because nothing in the encryption will ever answer exactly how the gentlest person he loved with all his heart could gleefully mutilate the other most innocent soul he has had the good fortune to have in his life.

Someday, when he can put this mystery to rest and take proper responsibility for all the bad decisions he has made up to this point, he will see him again.

Luciel, alias Seven/707, cannot face Yoosung Kim or the woman by his side.

But someday, Saeyoung Choi will be able to greet his friends, and congratulate them properly.

But not before he discovers what happened to the other half of his soul.

***

Sitting amongst tatters of torn photos and debris from weeks of fitful rage, a figure stares dully at the monitor. The eerie blue tones from the screen do nothing to help the sickly pallor of the man who sits there, chewing furiously at his nails until they leak crimson droplets that pool around the grooves of his nail beds.

Months and months of scheming all gone to shit. _And for what?!_ Some fucking idiot who doesn’t know his head from his ass, completely unable to find his own way without a guide–-

He breaks off; he realizes there is nothing left for him to exercise his rage upon and he needs his fingers for the only skill of worth he possesses.

Deep inside, the seething rage is only tempered by an overwhelming sense of pathetic inferiority…his own lack of foresight and miscalculations had brought danger of discovery to his savior and their haven; it was only right that he be cast out until deemed worthy enough to return.

But how to do it?

Cool mint eyes fall slowly, passing over the several covertly captured photos strewn about the cheap motel room. They all shared a common subject: blonde hair, an eye patch and infuriating smiles.

Each time he pores over the contents of his surveillance, his temper flares and he regrets not ruining both of those pretty purple eyes–-but stops, remembering the sudden frigidity he had been met with after reporting his efforts to the Savior. The quiet disdain in her green eyes might as well have been a forceful backhanded strike as she’d coolly reminded the Believer that had he truly been skilled, there wouldn’t have been so many mistakes which allowed someone worthier to infiltrate their sanctuary and defile it.

The memory of exile took the fire out of the ever simmering rage for the moment. An overwhelming sense of self-pity and despair replaces it, tightening his grip on his own bleached hair.

Above all, the most frustrating matter was that he did not understand: though Yoosung Kim might have been kin to the Savior at one point, did she not bring him into Mint Eye herself because she found him currently too weak to comprehend paradise? In that way, had Yoosung Kim not been deemed worthless?

Lining up the photo fragments, a gallery of love-addled stupidity began to take form; Raking his teal eyes over the images, the unknown man begins to wonder if he should pity how weak Yoosung appeared, coddled by constant warmth and protection from more capable individuals–-surely they understood his flaws?

And yet…

Yet if this whelp; this slip of a boy–-if he was _so weak_ , then why…why was _everything_ undone by his intrusion? Why had he been unable to fight off the simpering fool while the revolting redhead abandoned them both for safety? Why had such a cowardly boy dared to restrain him-–how had he **dared** to come at all!?

Pupils flare, drinking in the visage of the other subject present in almost every snapshot: the woman; the bait he had planted in the RFA to unsettle them. A cold, searing burn of frustration rips through him…he could take her back–-revisit all his anger and rage upon her for extending her chaos to his machinations instead of just the RFA, but–

_–-she was always by his side._

And Savior had forbidden him to approach Yoosung Kim again.

Throwing the polaroids in the air, he let out another enraged cry as the pieces fluttered back to the floor. It was absurd to him; Yoosung was soft, spoiled by loving care from the day he was born, sheltered from not only the world but even simple truths that would shatter his fragile beliefs. Despite this, it was that same undeserved concern from those around him–even the revered Savior–that kept not only him, but his equally air-headed girlfriend safe from harm. It was inconceivable; would this temporary warmth not just prolong his suffering frailty in the end?

Why was Yoosung Kim allowed to keep smiling in those delusions of happiness? Why had he not stayed curled up in pain after he tore into that stupidly determined eye? How dare he find the strength to get up and move forward with his life like nothing happened when he had been so long defeated by the mere absence of the Savior’s light?! How did that whimpering little milksop believe he deserved to be happy with such brittle illusions just because he callously replaced the Savior’s guidance with filthy pretend-love?!

How much longer would he–-the strongest true Believer–-have to endure all these injustices while shivering in misery like a hungry ghost? Why would his Savior not allow him to exact vengeance on her behalf, and instead cast him from paradise–-at what point would he ever be considered worthy again if she would not allow him to be her weapon…?

Moments passed quietly; in this silence, it was decided that questioning the methods of the Savior would only lead to eventual heresy. Gathering up the pictures taken during his obsessive period, he swiftly deposited them in the trash and moved the can to the bathroom.

Redemption would not be found in this route; better to return to the beginning.

Saeran returned to his laptop, stretching his fingers and rolling his neck. A sneer curled his lip back over his teeth as he reset his sights on the original target.

“That redhead won’t know what hit him.”


End file.
